Lunar Eclipse
by Ms Llewellyn
Summary: "I may not understand much about imprinting, but I do know this. Nature is Cruel." Jacob Black imprints on Edward, yet hides this, slowly he's dying. Can anything be done? And What of Edward, will he except when he does find out? EC/JB SLASH
1. Prologue

**_Lunar Eclipse_**

**_Prologue_**

_Imprinting._

_A rare thing that happens to wolves. Not much is known about the phenomenon, but I have to say - it's a force of nature. There are theories surrounding it. Sam thinks its nature's way of finding the perfect mate to help carry the shifter-gene onto the next generation. Legends say it is the binding of two souls meeting, finding each other. I'm not sure what to believe anymore. _

_Imprinting is love at first sight. The imprint becomes your world, you would do anything, become anything to keep them happy. Whether that be friend, brother, protector or lover. They are the gravity that keeps you grounded to this world._

_I've felt the imprint through the pack-mind, felt the undying devotion. I despised it. It wasn't your true self, it wasn't real. You didn't fall in love on your own, you were forced, manipulated into it. I never wanted to imprint. But nature never takes our wishes into effect. I never understood, the thrall, or the pull of the imprint until it happened to me. _

_No one has ever denied the imprint, to do so would bring dire consequences. I was stupid and foolish, I kept it hidden - I wasted away, knowing the one my wolf longed for belonged to someone else, was marrying someone else. If you know me, like the pack thinks they do, if they knew I imprinted, but not who, my devotion to my friendship with Bella would be mistaken for more - I know it would. For they think I was in love with her. Perhaps, I thought I was. _

_But I see now, I enjoyed the idea of being in love. But it wasn't her my mind thought of at night as I languished in the pain of a denied imprint. Bella wasn't the one I was tearing my soul apart for. _

_For my love is unnatural in it's greatest sense, a contradiction of nature. To imprint on the enemy. On a Cullen. On Edward Cullen, who hated him, who was marrying Bella, the love of his immortal existence. _

_I may not know a lot about imprinting, but I do know this. _

_Nature is cruel. _


	2. Chapter 1

**Lunar Eclipse**

**Chapter One**

_"...I should have known from the look on your face, but I was too blind to see. _

_The fire slowly turned to pain, I walked for miles trying to find my way..."_

**_~ I saw you Die, Apollo Drive_**

Jacob Black ran.

It was the only thing he could do, needed to do. He ignored the cries of his father, Sam and Charlie as they called for him to come back. His blood pumped furiously through him, his heart beating in time with the howl that threatened to be released. God, how he wanted to cry his frustration, his anger, his desperation. But not here, not here were the pack could hear him, could slip past the walls he'd been applying the last few months in hopes of them never finding out the truth - it was the only thing he'd hidden from them.

Bella Swan was merely the smoke screen to his truth, let them believe his heart was breaking for her - when it was his soul was being torn for someone else, someone he'd never have. He welcomed the forest as it opened up just for him, like it always seemed too. The smell of rain and pine and spruce and upturned earth invaded his slightly higher sense of smell. He'd be able to smell more if he wasn't forcing the phasing back.

_Not yet, not yet, _he cried internally to the wolf, who whined and howled and snarled in its rage and sorrow. His legs pumped faster, the trees blurring around him, his lungs burned. It was a good burn, because maybe then it could out burn the inferno engulfing his heart. Or the ice that was slowly encasing his soul. Hot and cold and somewhere in between. He and _Him _hot and cold, fire and ice. Vampire and Werewolf - natural enemies, but how could nature be so cruel to give him someone so wrong? How could she defy her very _nature _and say his soul belonged to his natural enemy.

Perhaps a few months ago, he might have cared. But not now, he'd long since accepted the imprint. But he could feel his body weakening, dying. Just because Jacob accepted it, didn't mean his imprint did. No, his beautiful very male vampire, didn't know. He'd been hiding it from him too. A half accepted imprint stopped him from dying a quick death, but it wasn't strong enough to stop the inevitable. One half could not live without the other.

Jacob hadn't always been in love with Edward Cullen. No, he absolutely hated him. It was hatred, then desire, then lust and devotion, and then only then after all the arguments, all the plays of false jealously between them, well not really false, he had been jealous, but not of Edward, but of Bella. Because it was she who got held by him at night, it was her who he whispered sweet nothings too, who he kissed, who he loved. After it all, the pain and the newborn army and time spent in the proximity of the creature that held his very soul - he'd somehow fallen in love. Being in his presence had given the imprint strength and his body enough energy to survive. One way or another he had always been around him.

But now. Not now. He needed to get away, far away from it all. He just, he just wanted it all to go back to the way it was. Somewhat normal. He'd never give up the wolf, he'd grown too used to it, grown to love it.

Nothing made sense anymore, only Edward. From the pale marble skin to his topaz golden honey eyes. He just made sense, when the world was falling apart around him.

Jacob shook as he saw the La Push border mere meters before him and with little effort the wolf burst from his skin, the russet fur shone like fading blood beneath the weak Washington sun. Paws pounded into the earth, ripping the ground beneath him. Nothing could hold back the rumble in his chest.

His cry split the air, resounding loudly through the forest. Every emotion he was feeling was conveyed in it as he crossed the border onto Cullen land. He didn't stop, he continued on ward to where - he didn't know. To anywhere. The Cullen's sickly sweet scent was all over the place, and he smelt the one that tamed his wolf. Freshly turned earth and pine, the smells of the forest, his favorite scent belonged to his very soul.

He ignored the cries of his brothers, ignored the Alpha call that resounded through his head. And he vanished within the forest.


	3. Chapter 2

**Lunar Eclipse**

**Chapter Two**

_"A Golden Mask Hides All Deformities." _

Edward smiled down at Bella, who in turn smiled up at him.

He wove an elegant marble hand through her chestnut locks, his eyes never leaving her muddy brown eyes. He was going to marry here in a few months, soon she would be his bride, his wife, and his eternity. She had been everything he'd been waiting a hundred years for. He could not spend an eternity without her at his side loving him.

She leaned up and he met her in a sweet, innocent kiss. Of course, Bella, being his sweet Bella, tried to deepen it. And he allowed her, before her taste and her smell became too much for him - he had long since learned to control the call of her blood, but he wondered if he had enough control for when he finally took her on their wedding night.

"I should return you home," he whispered to her. Her eyes smiled, as her lips frowned in a pout. She did not want to go home, she never did. But she would, he knew she would - he still hadn't gotten into Charlie's Good-Book. He didn't suppose he ever would. Charlie thought his daughter was too good for him, and he was right. Bella, his sweet, if not stubborn, Bella was too good for him. Human and warm and soft and so forgiving. There was plenty he shouldn't be forgiven for, yet she does. He doesn't take it for granted. He will make her happy, anyway he knew how.

"I suppose, Charlie is still mad at you." she said. Yes he was and he forever would be, because he was stealing his daughter away from him. He just didn't know how much. "Shouldn't provoke him before the wedding, hate it if he tried to shoot you." she giggled. He gave her an indulgent smile, before he lifted her up and carried her away through the forest. It past in a blur, trees and fallen logs nothing but smudges on a canvas as he tightened his hold on her, hugging her closer to his frigged body. She snuggled closer, her head resting on the juncture between neck and shoulder, her lips fluttered gently against his pulse point, or what would have been his pulse point had he still had one.

The Swan residence was a two story white building, it felt of home and he followed the scent of Bella, to the most frequented room. Her room, filled with books and purple. Charlie wasn't there and he knew he wouldn't be for a few more hours. He went to the reservation with a wedding invitation for the Blacks. A smirk slid across his lips - Bella was his, and Jacob could never have her. But it fell soon after in sympathy for the fact he never would have the girl he loved. He knew the pain of a century of loneliness, could understand the heartbreak the mutt must be feeling.

"I'll see you tomorrow? You know Alice, she'd be disappointed if you don't go with her to the wedding dress fitting." he said, slipping the last bit in. Alice was organizing the whole wedding and Bella had turned down shopping. How could she not, Alice was like a crack addict to shopping in fashion and style. Bella smiled and gave him a somewhat forced smile.

"Yes, I'll see you before Alice drags me off to play barbie." she whispered as she captured his cold marble lips with her soft, pink pliable ones. It was slow and comforting, it spoke of love and compassion.

"Good bye, Bella." he dazzled her with one his lopsided grins and darted from her window, heading towards the Cullen house. The Cullen residence was a two story, 2/3 made of glass and the other 1/3 made of dry wall. He caught the fleeting thoughts of his family as they milled about the house. Alice bouncing with joy organizing the upcoming wedding and Jasper was content watching her for his amusement. Rosalie and Emmett were doing what all married couples do, though they acted more like teenagers. Esme was in the Garden tending to the countless flowers that had grown in or that she planted.

He slipped up the stars towards the music room. He felt inspired. The keys of the baby grand piano gave way, the soft lilting tune flowing smoothly into the air. But it all came to a halt in a loud and obnoxious end as a howl filled with so much sorrow and anger and pain ripped through the air. His head snapped up and unconciously he looked towards the wall that hid the forest from his gaze.

_What the..._

Another howl twice as sorrowful split the air again. His mind tried to focus on the thoughts - he frowned, he knew them, though they were jumbled. Jacob Black was crying. His wolf raging and sad and so filled with pain.

_'run...keep going...need to get away...don't want to leave...my imprint, so beautiful...can't leave...must...can't stay, can't watch as she steals him from us...'_

Edwards brow furrowed.

_Him...? _


End file.
